A vehicle, by definition, is a mobile object. While an automobile is a wheeled vehicle that carries its own engine or motor and transports passengers. The vehicle or automobile we know today was not invented in a single day by a single inventor, but instead reflects an evolution that has taken place over more than one hundred years. Distinct variations in the design and construction of automobiles have created numerous systems and components that are difficult or impossible to diagnose and repair at the roadside. Motor vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks and semi-trucks, are self powered in that they contain an engine, motor or other power means coupled through a transmission to wheels of the vehicle. Thus, motor vehicles are capable of self locomotion. Trailers and similar vehicles, however, must be attached to another vehicle because they lack their own power source. Generally, trailers are pulled behind a motor vehicle, such as a car, truck or semi-truck.
Motor vehicles, due to their complexity, have occasional mechanical breakdowns which cause the vehicle to become disabled. For instance, a motor could stop operating or a transmission could fail to transmit power. Unless power can be generated and transmitted to the wheels of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle is not capable of self movement. Trailers, as mentioned above, generally do not include a self-powering mechanism and must, therefore, always be moved by applying power from another source. In addition, many trailers are equipped with sophisticated braking systems that are prone to failure.
Typical methods for moving a disabled motor vehicle include pushing, pulling or towing the disabled vehicle with a second vehicle. Moving trailers typically involves pulling or towing the trailer by hand or with a second vehicle.
However, it is sometimes inconvenient to move one vehicle with another. Towing-type vehicles are generally expensive and difficult to operate. Also, because it is not the purpose of motor vehicles to be towed, damage can occur when attaching the disabled vehicle to the tow vehicle, or during the towing itself. Additionally, motor vehicles are not primarily designed to be pushed or pulled, and damage to the body or running gear of the vehicle may occur during such action. Although trailers are intended to be pulled by another vehicle, sometimes no pulling vehicle is available. When this occurs, the trailer typically cannot be moved.
Various devices for moving disabled or non-powered vehicles have been proposed over the years. One such device is the wheel-dolly. Wheel-dollies can be defined by design and usage into four basic types.
A first wheel-dolly is used to remove and replace wheel assemblies and brakes on vehicles. It is probably the most widely used type of wheel-dolly. It is a shop tool for use with a dismounted wheel assembly and requires movement of the vehicle by hand. In use, the dolly's wheels roll transversely to the wheel it carries.
A second type of wheel-dolly is used in pairs or sets of four to move vehicles within a garage or shop. This type of dolly supports each wheel affixed to vehicle on a plurality of casters, allowing movement of a vehicle in any direction when maneuvered by hand on a hard surface. For example, H. E. Maurer, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 1,275,716, August 1918, provided a wheel-dolly on casters that, when used under each wheel, would elevate an automobile so that it could readily be rolled around in limited space, especially within garages.
A third type of wheel-dolly is designed to carry an immobile wheel on a road or street. This dolly's wheels roll parallel with the wheel it carries. It is installed on wheel affixed to towed vehicle's trailing axle in conjunction with leading axle of vehicle being carried by a tow truck. A towing dolly carrying both wheels of trailing axle is more widely used than individual wheel-dollies.
One drawback associated with wheel-dollies is the requirement for the vehicle to be lifted so that a wheel or a portion of the suspension can be placed upon the dolly, whereby the dolly carries the weight of the vehicle. Once moved, the vehicle must then be removed from the dolly. Another drawback relates to movement of the vehicle once placed upon the dolly. Movement of the vehicle must still be completed by hand or with a tow vehicle, severely limiting the advancement in art provided by wheel-dollies.
Another known approach to moving disabled vehicles is the tractor style pusher. A tractor style pusher typically resembles a front tine garden tiller having a rubber push bumper in place of the rotating tines. In operation, a user simply abuts the push bumper to a portion of the vehicle and engages the gearing to push against the vehicle.
One shortcoming associated with this type of device is damage to the pushed vehicle. Inevitably, the push bumper will damage the fragile paint and plastic bumper covers provided on modern vehicles. Another shortcoming is that moving a vehicle with one of these devices requires at least two people. One to operate the tractor style pusher and one to steer the vehicle as it is moved.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is a device for moving vehicles that does not require the vehicle to be lifted for placement upon the device. The device should also provide a means for locomotion to the disabled vehicle whereby persons or a tow vehicle are not needed. The vehicle mover should also be operable by a single individual.
Finally, there are ergonomic needs that a vehicle mover must satisfy in order to achieve acceptance by the end user. The vehicle moving device must be easily and quickly attachable to the disabled vehicle using minimal hardware and requiring a minimal number of tools. Further, the vehicle mover should not require excessive strength to attach or include heavy component parts.
Thus, the present invention provides a vehicle mover which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art devices. The vehicle mover of the present invention not only provides for relative ease in attachment and operation, it also permits one operator movement of a vehicle without the need to provide additional persons for steering or additional vehicles to provide locomotion of the disabled vehicle.